Cleanse The Bay

Aug 11, 2014

August is National Water Quality Month!

Did you know that the wetlands surrounding San Francisco Bay actually work to cleanse the water and keep it clean for people and wildlife?

Just like you avoid eating unhealthy foods to keep your body in top form, we at Save The Bay do our best to prevent pollution from reaching the Bay. But when pollution does flow toward the Bay, wetland plants work to filter polluted runoff and trash from the land and prevent it from reaching open Bay waters. Some plants can even remove heavy metals and other toxins from the water after it’s been polluted.

This is just one of the reasons why we at Save The Bay work with community volunteers to restore wetlands at seven different sites around the Bay shoreline, advocate for preserving open land around the Bay, and create sources of funding for restoring 100,000 acres of Bay wetlands that scientists say the Bay needs to be healthy.

What can you do to help cleanse the Bay? Here’s a 5-day starter pack for your San Francisco Bay cleanse:

Day 1Learn what inspires our nearly 7,000 yearly volunteers to get their hands dirty along the shoreline by watching this video in which they tell their stories.

Day 2Give us some juice. Sign up to volunteer for one of our programs. Depending on the time of year, you’ll work alongside our restoration scientists germinating and planting native seedlings, gathering seeds, removing invasive weeds, or cleaning up trash.

Day 3Donate to support our work including our education programs, which bring 5,000 middle and high school students out on the marsh each year to perform citizen science and learn how to be the next generation of Bay Stewards.

Day 4Coastal Cleanup Day is coming up in September, an international day of action that inspires people to clean up our beaches and waterways. Join us for a clean-up in San Jose or Oakland on September 20. Learn about the impact of trash on our Bay and find out why banning single use plastics at the source is the best way to keep our waterways clean.

Day 5Every year, 3 billion cigarette butts are littered in the Bay Area. Cigarette butts are toxic, plastic trash that spoils water quality and kills wildlife. Not to mention being gross. Learn more about how butts get in the Bay and sign our petition telling cities to pass and enforce outdoor smoking bans to keep butts out of our Bay.

Now that you’re well on your way to a clean Bay, get out there and enjoy it.